Chaos (Phoenix Undercover #2)

by C. A. Harms

  Instead of answering her, I pushed her aside, reached out for my phone, and dialed Margo’s number. When her voice mail picked up, I took in a quick breath and let everything out in a rush. “I refuse to work with him. He is a freak, Margo. There’s something seriously wrong with him, and if you can’t accept that, then fire me. I don’t give a shit. And if he steps foot in my office or in this agency again, I will have him escorted out by security. He is a very disturbed man, and I will not risk my safety for any amount of money.” I hung up and slouched back in my chair. I felt like I had just been hit by a bus, and my mind was a whirlwind of chaos.

  ***

  After the shit-storm my morning had turned into, I had Valerie cancel all of my appointments. The last thing I wanted to do was spend a day pretending to be focused and determined. I was so far from that it wasn’t even funny.

  I needed a drink, but that couldn’t happen, so I forced Brook to drink and entertain me. I sat back on the couch, lounging in my pajamas while she told me stories about the weird guys in her classes. I knew she was doing everything she could do to take my mind off my day, but my happiness was forced. Each time she mentioned how some guy in her class stared at her more than the teacher, my stomach flipped, reminding me of that feeling I had experienced earlier with R.J.

  Even when she began drunk-dialing Audrey, I could only smile. That was until she went on about my morning with the weirdo “Rico Suave,” or so she called him.

  “You should have seen him, Audrey. He was such a tool, you could see the freak rolling off him in waves. He thought he was some kinda gift, strutting around.” She paused, and I took the opportunity to yank the phone from her hand. In her drunken state, she wasn’t fast enough to stop me and let out a whine in protest as she practically fell sideways on the couch.

  “Who the hell is he? She’s not working with him anymore,” Audrey shouted as I held the phone to my ear.

  “Okay, Dad,” I said, and she immediately stopped talking. “Where are you?”

  “I’m still working, but you need to tell me what happened today with that asshole client of yours,” she insisted, and I immediately regretted allowing Brook to get shitfaced. She had a big enough mouth without the alcohol, and it only became enhanced to the power of four the moment you added booze to the mix.

  “Honestly, it was nothing,” I told her. I didn’t need her running around making things worse. I was a big girl. I could handle my own problems.

  “Gabby.” I jumped as a deep voice filled my ear. For a moment my world tilted as I imagined it being Josh’s smooth voice. I knew that was only a moment of insanity, though, because he was gone, and I would never again hear the raspy voice I loved so much. “What’s going on?”

  I snapped back to reality, realizing it was Greyson.

  I ignored his question and began asking my own. “What are you doing with my sister? Are you working together on a case? Or, wait…” I let my mind go into territory it should avoid. “Are you two having…?” I shook my head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

  “Gabby, focus.” His tone was completely serious. “Who is this guy?”

  “It’s nothing, really. Brook is just making a big deal about it. I’m not working for him anymore. I called my boss and told her I was done.”

  “What’s his name?” he asked.

  I shook my head and laughed at him. “I’m not giving you his name. It’s handled.”

  “You can either give me his name, or I will call your boss myself. Or your secretary. Whichever way, I’ll find it. You telling me would make things a whole lot easier, though.”

  I had never seen this cocky, demanding side of Greyson before. It reminded me of Josh. “You’re being an ass, I swear.” He said nothing, but I could still hear his breathing. “Listen, Grey, I know you mean well, but it’s handled, okay? I got this.”

  “And if it isn’t handled?” he asked, and I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. “You’ll call me first thing.”

  “Greyson, I’m not your responsibility.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Josh was my best friend, and the child you’re carrying is part of him. That makes you my responsibility.”

  God, what the hell was with these men? “Fine, okay,” I said, because I honestly didn’t want to continue this conversation any further. “I’ll call, but I won’t have to. It is handled,” I added, just before hanging up.

  This day had been exhausting, and I just wanted it to end. I’d had all the crazy that one person could handle in less than a twenty-four hour period.

  Chapter 13

  Josh

  It was shit like tonight that made me feel as if I was going insane. I knew Grey and Audrey were fucking keeping me in the dark, and that was only enhancing my lack of control. I could feel their eyes on me as they waited for me to react. I only sat on the couch with my legs parted and my elbows resting on my knees, lightly rocking back and forth.

  “She said it was handled.” Grey was the first to talk.

  “I don’t buy it for a second.” I looked up at Audrey’s words. I figured she would be the last one to say what I was feeling. “Brook’s told me about this client of hers on more than one occasion.”

  “And?” I pushed.

  “And he’s very persistent. Apparently Gabby has spent weeks showing him places all over the city and he makes her feel very uncomfortable. He calls and texts at all hours of the day.” She turned her phone over and over in her hand and she stared down at it. “Gabby thought the commission from a sale as big as his would be great for the upcoming expense of the baby. She was planning ahead, but something is off about this guy.”

  “Have you ever seen him? Heard his name?” Mike asked.

  She shook her head. “Not a full name anyway. She has only ever referred to him as R.J. I guess Margo referred him to her because Gabby’s numbers mean she’s the best Realtor in the company. He’s a big spender, so satisfying his needs was a direct order from the higher-ups.”

  “I want Margo’s number,” I said through gritted teeth. “It fucking ends. If she’s uncomfortable in any way, then those feelings come before any damn client.”

  “You can’t be going off half-cocked, Josh,” Grey said.

  I shot off the couch faster than Greyson expected and gripped his collar in my first. “We know nothing about this client of hers. Don’t go fucking lecturing me over my concern for the woman I love and my unborn child.” Adrenaline was rushing through me like a tidal wave.

  He held his hands up in surrender. “Come on, man, I’m not saying you shouldn’t worry.”

  “We’ve been out there. We’ve seen the shit these predators are capable of. Don’t tell me not to go off half-cocked. When it comes to Gabby, even her slightest discomfort is a big fucking deal. And like I said, I want Margo’s number.” I let go of him with a shove, which caused him to stumble backward.

  I felt like a ticking bomb. With each day I became even more unpredictable.

  ***

  I didn’t know exactly how long I had been asleep, but it was completely dark outside. As I sat up in bed, I could hear the guys talking in the other room. After a few moments of just sitting in the dark, listening to them discuss videos and files, I crawled out of bed and walked toward the kitchen. I could smell the freshly brewed coffee in the air and I was in need of a pick-me-up.

  “Josh.” I turned around holding a cup of coffee to face Audrey. She held out a card, and I took it from her.

  ‘Margo Trenton’ was printed in bold letters on the top of the card, followed by her office location and two different phone numbers. I looked back up to meet Audrey’s concerned eyes.

  “Listen, I know none of this is easy on you. And I also know how much you love my sister. I don’t trust this guy. I don’t like the vibe I’m getting.”

  “I’m so confused,” I confessed. “I’m staying hidden for the safety of my family and Gabby, but I feel like it won’t matter. I mean, wouldn’t it be better if I was with
her and able to protect her from shit bags like this guy?”

  “We’re gonna figure this out.” Audrey placed her hand on my bicep. “Can I show you something?”

  “Yeah,” I said as I followed her into the kitchen.

  She pulled out a chair next to hers, and I sat down between her and Grey. I watched as she opened up a file on the desk and laid three different photos side by side on the table.

  “Where did you get these?” I asked.

  Audrey smiled at me and winked. “I have ways. This man was always around Leo’s condo. In fact, he practically lived there during my time of involvement. He would always say things about a home in Staten Island. He referred to it as the castle. I told Sheppard about it over and over, but they just kept focusing on the obvious locations here in the city. Two weeks after they brought you guys in, this man—” She tapped her finger on the second photo. “—showed up at Leo’s place in the middle of the night, saying the king of the castle had placed a hit on Leo.”

  “On Leo?” I asked.

  “Yeah, apparently the king suspected Leo was stealing from him and he was going to make him pay. Nicolay—” She pointed to the third photo. “—another agent as you now know him. He reported that Leo had ordered him to find the mole.”

  “Leo also came to me to do the same,” I said as I looked up at Greyson and Mike. I remember it well. We had stayed for days in the warehouse with Leo and his men. He had refused to let anyone leave.

  “Yeah, I was in the car when they placed Pavel’s body in the trunk,” Audrey confessed as she shifted uncomfortably.

  “Hey.” Mike placed his arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. “We all had a job to do. Nothing about the things we were forced to do was easy.”

  Audrey nodded as she continued. “So I think we need to look more into the Staten Island area. It’s one of the places Sheppard felt was a weak point. He had passed it on to Frank, but Frank didn’t take it any further than that.”

  “Frank’s from Staten Island,” Grey stated.

  “Yeah, he and his wife have lived there for years. It’s where they settled after the death of their son,” I added as I remembered Frank talking about the devastation they faced when they found their son lying on their front lawn with a bullet between his eyes.

  “I still feel like there’s something on Staten. I just think it needs a little more focus,” she added as she continued to stare at the pictures in front of her.

  I was half tempted to call Frank, yet I knew we had to keep this quiet until we had something more solid to go on. He had always been my go-to guy. Since I had joined the Bureau five years ago, the man had become like a second father to me. Now I wasn’t sure who the hell to trust.

  Chapter 14

  Gabriella

  I had managed to avoid R.J. entirely for the last week, which made me both nervous and relieved. I spent the majority of my time feeling skittish, and I still always felt like I was being watched. Margo returned the frantic message I had left about R.J. bright and early the next morning. She insisted that she herself would take him on, and she apologized profusely about his advances, as if him being a psycho was her fault.

  But what surprised me even more was the call I got from her this morning. She told me she had tried to call Roman a number of times and had never heard back from him, and then this morning a woman called and told Margo there was no Roman at that number.

  The number was the same one I had used to contact him, and I had always been able to reach him. This made me feel even more uneasy. There was something very strange about that man.

  I was closing in on my fourteen-week mark, and I had the perfect little baby bump to show it. The idea that soon I would be able to hold Josh’s child was becoming more real every day. While I would be happy with a little girl, the idea of having a boy who would be a mirror image of his father and who I could name after Josh was a wish I made often.

  Today would be the first time I’d seen Libby since she broke down in Josh’s apartment. I had agreed to meet her for lunch, and Brook had tagged along. She said she was there for moral support, but I was pretty sure she was there because of my other overbearing sister. I was getting a little tired of being treated like a child, but that was an argument for another time—and with Audrey herself. She had to stop trying to fill Josh’s shoes, or our father’s for that matter. I could take care of myself.

  “Why do you seem so tense?” Brook asked, reminding me that she was sitting next to me. I had been staring off into space, thinking of how my life had turned out. “You need to relax. I thought you said Libby was amazing.”

  “She is, honestly. It’s just hard seeing her. You’ll see why.”

  “Would it be because she is seriously a female version of Josh?” Brook added, and I looked over at her to find her staring forward with a smile on her lips.

  I turned in the direction she was looking and saw Libby scanning the restaurant, trying to locate us. When her gaze fell upon mine, she smiled and waved, hurrying toward us.

  Brook and I stood to greet her, and her eyes shifted toward my belly. “You’re finally starting to show,” she cooed as her hand went straight for my stomach and rubbed it lightly. When she looked up at me and her eyes shined with unshed tears, I felt my own cloud over. I knew we were both thinking of Josh then.

  She stood tall once again and offered me a hug. “How have you been feeling?”

  “I’ve been good,” I assured her as I pulled back and turned toward Brook. “This is my sister Brooklyn.”

  “I’ve heard so much about you. It’s great to finally meet you.” She held her hand out to Brook, and they shook hands.

  “You too,” Brook added, before we all took a seat at the table.

  It was easy to flow right into conversation as Libby started talking about her morning with Jonah. He was definitely a little man trapped in a tiny boy’s body. He apparently believed he was old enough to wear aftershave.

  “After he stood at the sink watching Will shave this morning, he insisted he had whiskers as well. So of course my husband played along. He put the protector back on the razor without Jonah seeing and proceeded to lather my child’s face with shaving cream. Will made a big deal about Jonah shaving and followed it up with aftershave.” She smiled, followed by a gentle laugh. “I mean, yes, it was very adorable, but I hope my husband realizes he’s created a monster.”

  It felt good to laugh as I imagined Jonah standing in front of the mirror next to Will shaving. But when that vision changed to Josh standing next to a dark-haired little boy as he taught him how to shave, it was like a kick to the stomach.

  ***

  A couple hours of conversation with Brook and Libby left me exhausted. I had laughed, cried, and even blushed a few times. I couldn’t believe some of the things the two of them could come up with. More than that, I didn’t know Libby was a pervert in disguise—or maybe my sister had just corrupted her.

  As we left the restaurant, Brook and I decided to walk down the block and pick up a few things for a night in. I was so distracted with Brook and her continued vulgar behavior that I hadn’t noticed a man step out of the coffee shop directly in front of me until I ran into him.

  “Oh,” I said as a strong set of arms wrapped around me to keep me from falling backward. I gripped them and held on tightly. “Thank you, I didn’t see you.” I looked up and froze instantly.

  “Gabby,” he whispered.

  I stood there in the center of the sidewalk as groups of New Yorkers rushed past us, yet I felt like I had tunnel vision as my past hit me full force.

  “Lance.” I couldn’t hide the surprise in my voice. “What are you doing in New York?”

  I stepped back from him to gain some much-needed space. The last time I had seen Lance was the night before he was supposed to meet me at the church—the night before he left me without any explanation.

  “I moved back,” he said with a shrug.

  We both stood there in silence just st
aring at one another. I knew what I wanted to say, but I also knew I was standing on a public street, and a scene was the last thing I wanted to cause.

  “Hello?” Brook said from my right, reminding me I wasn’t alone. “So after all these years you just show back up.”

  Oh shit, I knew that tone. I looked over at my sister and knew that causing a scene was definitely something she wasn’t trying to avoid. Leave it to Brooklyn the Windbag. Once she cut loose, it was next to impossible to shut her up.

  Lance looked uncomfortable, and he began to shift on his feet. “Yeah, about that—”

  Brooklyn snorted in laughter. “Uh, yeah, about that,” she said as she stepped closer to him. “You seriously are going to try to justify what you did to her with some lame-ass excuse? You left her the night before her wedding like some fucking coward.” Her voice rose, and a few people walking by looked our way.

  I grabbed for her arm and tried to gain her attention, but she completely ignored me. “That was a real dick move, Lance. If you didn’t want to go through with it, then you owed it to her to tell her that, not leave her fucking standing there waiting for you.” She had worked her way between us, and I suddenly felt a little sorry for the man that had dumped me.

  “Brook, enough,” I said in a louder tone, finally gaining her attention. “This is not the time or the place to discuss my life.” I tried to convey with my eyes just how much I needed her to shut up.

  When she finally stepped back and I could once again see Lance, I offered him a sympathetic look. I was sure a smile was the last thing he expected from our first encounter after all these years.

  “I really am sorry I hurt you, Gabby. I was an idiot.” He shook his head just enough for me to notice the movement. “I got scared.”

  “Scared?” I was suddenly confused.

  “Yeah,” he replied. “Scared I wasn’t enough. I was struggling at work, and they had said they were going to start letting people go. I knew I wouldn’t be able to provide for you like I had hoped, so I panicked, and when I realized I screwed up, it was too late. I had already made one of the biggest mistakes of my life.”